CHAPTER XVI.

to him whose practice was lawful, and the signs of prophecy that are seen therein, it is thus declared, namely; 'Another day, when the child had been born, Pôrûshaspô called one of those five brothers of the race of Karaps, and spoke thus: "Fully observe the marks and specks of my son Zaratûst."'

2. The Karap went and sat down before Zaratûst, and the head of Zaratûst was thereupon severely twisted by him, in order that he should be killed; but he, being fearless, watched the wizards whose terror was distressing 1. 3. As it was in those ten nights for hospitality, Aûharmazd sent Spendarmad, Arêdvisûr, and Ardâî-fravard2 down to the earth, by way of female care; thereupon no variation occurred to the child, and, further, the hand of that Karap was withered 3, and that wizard demanded the life 4 of Zaratûst from Pôrûshaspô for the harm from him, which sprang upon himself from his own action.

4. At the same time Pôrûshaspô took Zaratûst, and gave him to the Karap, that he might do with him according to his own will. 5. He seized him and threw him out, at the feet of the oxen who were going on a path to the water; the leader of that drove of oxen stood still in his vicinity, and 150 oxen, which walked behind it, were kept away from him thereby; and Pôrûshaspô took him, and carried him back to the house 5.

at the feet of the horses; and the leader of the horses stood still in the vicinity of Zaratûst, and 150 horses, which walked behind it, were kept away from him thereby; and Pôrûshaspô took him, and carried him back to the house 1.

7. Also the third day, firewood is gathered together by the Karap, and Zaratûst is deposited on it by him, the fire is stirred up by him, yet with the same result (ham-bûn-ik), the child is not burnt by it, and those marks, which existed and were made upon him, were a preservation from it 2.

8. And the fourth day, he is thrown by the Karap into the lair (âshyânakŏ) of a wolf; the wolf was not in the lair, and when it wished to go back to the den (sûrâkŏ), it stopped when it came in front of some radiance, in the manner of a mother, at the place where its cub was. 9. In the night, Vohûmanô and Srôsh the righteous brought a woolly (kûrûsakŏ) sheep with udder full of milk into the den, and it gave milk to Zaratûst, in digestible draughts (guvârakŏ guvârakŏ), until daylight3.

10. In the dawn, the mother of Zaratûst went to that place, in the expectation that it would be necessary to bring a skeleton out of the den, and the woolly sheep came out and ran away; his mother supposed that it was the wolf, and she spoke thus: 'Thou hast devoured to repletion; mayst. thou endure for ever without it!' 11. She went farther, and when she saw Zaratûst quite safe, she then took him. up and spoke thus: 'I will not give thee to any one during life, not though both the provinces of Râgh and Nôdar should arrive here together 4.'

12. Because these princes were among the spiritual from two provinces which are in Âtûr-pâdakân, such as are at sixty leagues (parasang) from Kîst: Zaratûst arose from Râgh, and Vistâsp from Nôdar. 13. And of these two provinces, Râgh was according to the name of Êrikŏ, son of Dûrêsrôbô, son of Mânûskîhar 1, from whom arose the race of Zaratûst: and Nôdar was according to the name of Nôdar, son of Mânûskîhar, from whom arose the race of Vistâsp.